Our action to go beyond oil

Just a moment ago we launched our inflatables at the crack of dawn in the misty Arctic waters of Baffin Bay and headed straight for Cairn Energy's deepwater drilling rig, the Stena Don. A group of highly experienced climbers are now scaling the rig in order to stop the drilling and defend the Arctic. I'm writing this with a deep sense of pride in my fellow activists who are out there in near freezing conditions - taking action on behalf of all of us.

They had to outrun the Danish navy and dodge special forces to get onto the rig but they've done it! And I'm writing this for you -- to make sure you are the first to know about what we're doing today and to say thanks for sticking with us since we left London three weeks ago.

We've been here next to Cairn Energy's deepwater drilling rig and their massive drill ship for 9 days now and we've seen enough to know that their operation here must be stopped. We didn't just come here to take pictures - although some of the ones photographer Will has taken have rocked the media and gone around the world - because it's now obvious that what they're doing here is madness. They are taking massive risks - with the Arctic, with our climate and with our future.

Many people know what Cairn Energy is up to now that we've come here and exposed it. But that isn't enough. People get outraged but then they forget about it and move on with their lives and become distracted by the next piece of interesting news - we're all guilty of that sometimes. We're taking action today because we simply can't sit around waiting for an accident to happen here like in the Gulf of Mexico and we can't allow our climate to be affected any more than it already is.

We all know we need to protect our planet from the worst effects of global warming but that's going to be a hell of a lot more difficult if Cairn finds oil here and all the big oil companies rush in to claim their stake in the deep waters off Greenland.

And so my friends - this is it. Today is the day we've all been waiting for - the reason we left London three weeks ago and the reason we've been keeping it all a bit low key until now. While our climbers are doing their absolute best to hold their occupation of the oil rig for as long as possible, everyone on the Esperanza is backing them and we're hauling ass to make sure the images and video footage go out as far as possible.

But there are limits to what we can do here in the Arctic - and with the help of our friends back on land. There's only so much we can say in a press release and tell journalists over the phone... but on the internet - with your help - we can really make this action count. We can spread the story to all of our contacts and ask them to do the same. We can urge them all to write to Bill Gammell, Cairn Energy's CEO, and maybe - just maybe - we'll manage to convince him that he's making a big mistake. Maybe together we can make sure the world goes beyond oil and invests in a cleaner, safer future for all of us.

Lisa on the Espy: Our Planet Needs You!

I've already taken a minute to send a letter to Bill today using the action form while Leila, our climate campaigner, has written him a personal open letter you can read here. Please join us by taking action today and inviting your friends to do the same.

I hope you realise that your actions are potentially endangering the lives of all those people onboard the Stena Don.

By slurpy - 31 August 2010 at 9:48am

Go GP. - This is brilliant work!

By 1justin - 31 August 2010 at 10:03am

How can you justify sailing all the way to the Arctic in an old fuel hungry vessel carrying your own helicopter and a couple of fast inflatable dinghy's to those hardworking people around the globe who support your causes? Go beyond oil you say........You come to the Arctic to hinder and indeed endanger the lives of those working there, not powered by renewable energy sources but powered by good old black gold.......
I, like many others would be far more supportive of your activities if they were backed up with something more meaningful than a few banners, slogans and poorly written blurbs designed to attract a few seconds media coverage....
Far more meaningful (far more media coverage too) if you had battled across the north atlantic and the davis strait in your canoes to make your protests....
Perhaps it would have be more helpfull if you had volunteered your help in cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf or helping the victims of the countless natural disasters that have occured over the past year. I can't recall seeing a GP banner in Haiti or Chile, let alone Pakistan......
I think everyone agrees that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, but until we can develop cleaner, more readily available power sources we need to support those who struggle to find the oil in new previously unexplored regions. If not, well how would GP have mobilised to the Arctic? Clearly GREENPEACE have not "GONE BEYOND OIL", maybe it's time to start practicing what you preach.........

By lappers - 31 August 2010 at 11:01am

The rig workers lives are not at risk, our climbers are not endangering them or the rig. Currently, the rig workers are taking pictures of our climbers.

- James Greenpeace UK

By jamess - 31 August 2010 at 11:23am

thank you for taking such thought through action and using well and wisely the resources you have for the greater good and for people and planet in the future

By degraal - 31 August 2010 at 11:25am

Even if GreenPeace WERE using fossil fuel, which they are not, it would be a very small price to pay. If not for these brave people, who do you think would take any notice?

If these peaceful activists were not willing to risk THEIR lives to bring this atrocity to the attention of the world's press, most of you wouldn't even have a clue it was happening.

As for endangering lives of operatives on the rig? How trite.

By GinniKipper - 31 August 2010 at 11:29am

"We didn't just come here to take pictures - although some of the ones photographer Will has taken have rocked the media and gone around the world - because it's now obvious that what they're doing here is madness"

Which photos make it obvious that its madness. Please share.

By paullb - 31 August 2010 at 11:53am

"If not for these brave people"

Are you for real???.

Endagering peoples lives, including their own...
More likely to be candidates for the Darwin awards.
People who put themselves in danger have no thought or care for those that have to pick up the pieces when they do get hurt.

Why don't you all volunteer for the Red Cross and really make a difference to peoples lives. Greenpeaces actions make me sick.

Greenpeace have NO support from the Greenlandic people after the organisation destroyed the export of seal skins some years ago.

The greenpeace meeting in Nuuk was demonstrated against by the locals because they need the revenue from oil to be self sufficient otherwise the lack of funds will destroy the country.

Who exactly are you helping again???”

By saynotogreenpeace - 31 August 2010 at 12:29pm

Interesting that you report that you're "next to Cairn Energy's deepwater drilling rig and their massive drill ship".

Why do Cairn have a drill ship and a rig there?

Sounds like they have the one on standby in case they need a relief well drilled?
The delay in BP's relief well at the Macondo site was a lack of vessel to drill with. Cairn have evidently planned to deal swiftly with a blowout by having a drillship on standby.

Sounds like good planning, not like cowboys.

By ProtestVote - 31 August 2010 at 1:49pm

Hi - Lisa here on the Esperanza.

It's understandable for anyone to have concerns about the safety of our action today but our climbers are highly experienced and they are safely occupying the oil rig without endangering themselves or anyone on the rig. They are attached to safety harnesses and are nowhere near the drill bit.

Oil rig workers were happily snapping photos of our inflatables earlier. We have safely shut down the drilling operation here to protect the Arctic.

L.

By lisavickers - 31 August 2010 at 6:16pm

@ProtestVote -- The Stena Forth drilling ship was drilling for oil at a site 20 km from the rig and has now moved north to drill at a new site 150 km away. Does that sound like a safety drill ship to you? They are searching for oil here with no emergency response plan and taking massive risks in harsh conditions - threatening this pristine environment and our climate.

Lisa

By lisavickers - 31 August 2010 at 6:21pm

Click on "photographer Will" in the text of the blog and you can decide for yourself.

"2 drills drilling
@ProtestVote -- The Stena Forth drilling ship was drilling for oil at a site 20 km from the rig and has now moved north to drill at a new site 150 km away. Does that sound like a safety drill ship to you? They are searching for oil here with no emergency response plan and taking massive risks in harsh conditions - threatening this pristine environment and our climate."

Of course they are searching for oil; we all know that.

If the Stena Forth drillship has moved 150 km away she can still return in 8 hrs - the fact is that each unit acts as a back-up to the other. Simple.

Have you asked to see the emergency response plan you claim doesn't exist? The Greenland government has and has accepted it. It is illegal to drill without an emergency response plan so stop talking about things you know nothing about.

They are not taking massive risks, they are conducting a standard shallow water exploration/appraisal well. Thousands of these well have been drilled all over the world, including many for scientific research, without problem.

The conditions are not harsh which is exactly why your activists have been buzzing araound in speedboats.

Stop putting out false information and start giving an honest overview of what exactly is going on.

Also start taking the rights of the local population into account; your arrogant attitude is exactly why the meetings Greenpeace tried to hold in Greenland to drum up support were an absolute disaster. I note you do not include any photos on your website of the peaceful, and legal, protests by the Greenlanders your presence in Nuuk sparked.

And to close: absolutely no mainstream media coverage of your childish antics. You must be gutted.

I hope it gets very cold and windy at Stena Don tonight.

By realitycheck121 - 31 August 2010 at 10:53pm

Realitycheck121, i couldn't agree with your points more!! Although you do seem to have quite a bit of knowledge on operations up there!
In my opinion, those activists took massive risks in trying to shut down the Stena Don as they had absolutely no idea what the status was with the well at that point. For them to do so could have caused a major incident. I am sure that they have had no communcations with the Rig Manager, i would imagine Greenpeace is the last thing on his mind and the last people he would be wanting to speak too.
I hope the weather takes a turn for the worse and we will soon have footage of those stupid activists clambering back down the columns but there little dinghy's wont be able to launch to recover them!! Ha ha, good luck to you!!

By topperharley - 1 September 2010 at 3:57am

I hope you realise that your actions are potentially endangering the lives of all those people onboard the Stena Don.

By slurpy - 31 August 2010 at 9:48am

Go GP. - This is brilliant work!

By 1justin - 31 August 2010 at 10:03am

How can you justify sailing all the way to the Arctic in an old fuel hungry vessel carrying your own helicopter and a couple of fast inflatable dinghy's to those hardworking people around the globe who support your causes? Go beyond oil you say........You come to the Arctic to hinder and indeed endanger the lives of those working there, not powered by renewable energy sources but powered by good old black gold....... I, like many others would be far more supportive of your activities if they were backed up with something more meaningful than a few banners, slogans and poorly written blurbs designed to attract a few seconds media coverage.... Far more meaningful (far more media coverage too) if you had battled across the north atlantic and the davis strait in your canoes to make your protests.... Perhaps it would have be more helpfull if you had volunteered your help in cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf or helping the victims of the countless natural disasters that have occured over the past year. I can't recall seeing a GP banner in Haiti or Chile, let alone Pakistan...... I think everyone agrees that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, but until we can develop cleaner, more readily available power sources we need to support those who struggle to find the oil in new previously unexplored regions. If not, well how would GP have mobilised to the Arctic? Clearly GREENPEACE have not "GONE BEYOND OIL", maybe it's time to start practicing what you preach.........

By lappers - 31 August 2010 at 11:01am

The rig workers lives are not at risk, our climbers are not endangering them or the rig. Currently, the rig workers are taking pictures of our climbers. - James Greenpeace UK

By jamess - 31 August 2010 at 11:23am

thank you for taking such thought through action and using well and wisely the resources you have for the greater good and for people and planet in the future

By degraal - 31 August 2010 at 11:25am

Even if GreenPeace WERE using fossil fuel, which they are not, it would be a very small price to pay. If not for these brave people, who do you think would take any notice? If these peaceful activists were not willing to risk THEIR lives to bring this atrocity to the attention of the world's press, most of you wouldn't even have a clue it was happening. As for endangering lives of operatives on the rig? How trite.

By GinniKipper - 31 August 2010 at 11:29am

"We didn't just come here to take pictures - although some of the ones photographer Will has taken have rocked the media and gone around the world - because it's now obvious that what they're doing here is madness" Which photos make it obvious that its madness. Please share.

By paullb - 31 August 2010 at 11:53am

"If not for these brave people" Are you for real???. Endagering peoples lives, including their own... More likely to be candidates for the Darwin awards. People who put themselves in danger have no thought or care for those that have to pick up the pieces when they do get hurt. Why don't you all volunteer for the Red Cross and really make a difference to peoples lives. Greenpeaces actions make me sick. Greenpeace have NO support from the Greenlandic people after the organisation destroyed the export of seal skins some years ago. The greenpeace meeting in Nuuk was demonstrated against by the locals because they need the revenue from oil to be self sufficient otherwise the lack of funds will destroy the country. Who exactly are you helping again???”

By saynotogreenpeace - 31 August 2010 at 12:29pm

Interesting that you report that you're "next to Cairn Energy's deepwater drilling rig and their massive drill ship". Why do Cairn have a drill ship and a rig there? Sounds like they have the one on standby in case they need a relief well drilled? The delay in BP's relief well at the Macondo site was a lack of vessel to drill with. Cairn have evidently planned to deal swiftly with a blowout by having a drillship on standby. Sounds like good planning, not like cowboys.

By ProtestVote - 31 August 2010 at 1:49pm

Hi - Lisa here on the Esperanza. It's understandable for anyone to have concerns about the safety of our action today but our climbers are highly experienced and they are safely occupying the oil rig without endangering themselves or anyone on the rig. They are attached to safety harnesses and are nowhere near the drill bit.

Oil rig workers were happily snapping photos of our inflatables earlier. We have safely shut down the drilling operation here to protect the Arctic.

L.

By lisavickers - 31 August 2010 at 6:16pm

@ProtestVote -- The Stena Forth drilling ship was drilling for oil at a site 20 km from the rig and has now moved north to drill at a new site 150 km away. Does that sound like a safety drill ship to you? They are searching for oil here with no emergency response plan and taking massive risks in harsh conditions - threatening this pristine environment and our climate.

Lisa

By lisavickers - 31 August 2010 at 6:21pm

Click on "photographer Will" in the text of the blog and you can decide for yourself.

Once again totally misinformed comments by Greenpeace fanatics. Lisavickers wrote: "2 drills drilling @ProtestVote -- The Stena Forth drilling ship was drilling for oil at a site 20 km from the rig and has now moved north to drill at a new site 150 km away. Does that sound like a safety drill ship to you? They are searching for oil here with no emergency response plan and taking massive risks in harsh conditions - threatening this pristine environment and our climate." Of course they are searching for oil; we all know that. If the Stena Forth drillship has moved 150 km away she can still return in 8 hrs - the fact is that each unit acts as a back-up to the other. Simple. Have you asked to see the emergency response plan you claim doesn't exist? The Greenland government has and has accepted it. It is illegal to drill without an emergency response plan so stop talking about things you know nothing about. They are not taking massive risks, they are conducting a standard shallow water exploration/appraisal well. Thousands of these well have been drilled all over the world, including many for scientific research, without problem. The conditions are not harsh which is exactly why your activists have been buzzing araound in speedboats. Stop putting out false information and start giving an honest overview of what exactly is going on. Also start taking the rights of the local population into account; your arrogant attitude is exactly why the meetings Greenpeace tried to hold in Greenland to drum up support were an absolute disaster. I note you do not include any photos on your website of the peaceful, and legal, protests by the Greenlanders your presence in Nuuk sparked. And to close: absolutely no mainstream media coverage of your childish antics. You must be gutted. I hope it gets very cold and windy at Stena Don tonight.

By realitycheck121 - 31 August 2010 at 10:53pm

Realitycheck121, i couldn't agree with your points more!! Although you do seem to have quite a bit of knowledge on operations up there! In my opinion, those activists took massive risks in trying to shut down the Stena Don as they had absolutely no idea what the status was with the well at that point. For them to do so could have caused a major incident. I am sure that they have had no communcations with the Rig Manager, i would imagine Greenpeace is the last thing on his mind and the last people he would be wanting to speak too. I hope the weather takes a turn for the worse and we will soon have footage of those stupid activists clambering back down the columns but there little dinghy's wont be able to launch to recover them!! Ha ha, good luck to you!!